Kudolf eickemeyee



V (No Model.) 7

R; EIGKEMEYER. HAT BINDING RING. No. 296,282. Patented Apr. 1,1884,

- 056665 15: .Rventor:

UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrics,

RUDOLF EIGKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

-HAT-BINDING RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,282, dated April 1,1884.

Application filed February 4, 1884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDoLn EICKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the county of\Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hat-Bind-- ing Rings, for use in connection withexpansible hat-blocks during certain operations in the manufacture offelt hats; and I do hereby declare that the following specification,taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part ofthe same, is a clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

It is well known that during the process of curling the brims of hatsand other similar operations the hats are more or less heated, and thatthe expansible blocks on which the hats are usually mounted during suchopera tions are liable to unduly enlarge or widen the hat at thejunction of the side, crown, and brim. For obviating the undue heatingof the hat at the point referred to, brim-curling machines haveheretofore been devised having an auxiliary brim-bed which supports ahat at the junction of its side, crown, and brim, and is insulated fromthe main brim-bed for preventing the heat of the latter from beingcommunicated to said auxiliary bed; but it is so important to guardagainst the enlargement or widening of the hat that binding-rings haveheretofore been employed outside of the hats, which absolutely limittheir expansion; and such rings are desirable, even if used inconnection with certain other improvements in brim-curling machinesheretofore devised by me, whereby the degree of expansion by the blockcan be accurately limited in each caseto hats of a certain size.Binding-rings as heretofore employed have been so constructed that aring was necessary for each and every size or number of hat; but it isobvious that while it may be an easy matter to gage the exteriordimensions of a hat-block, the outside dimensions of a hat mountedthereon must vary according to the variable thickness of the felt, andtherefore a binding-ring. for hats of a certain size will engagevariably with hats of the same size.

The objects of my invention are to obviate the necessity formore thanone binding-ring for use with each machine, and to enable one ring (Nomodel.)

to be used equally well with all sizes of hats, and to properly confinethem against enlargement, whether the felt be thick or thin. Toaccomvised an adjustable binding-ring, which can be readily enlarged orcontracted and applied to a. hat of any size, and readily caused tofirmly confine the same against expansion. My said novel binding-ringmay be composed of a strip of any flexible but non-elastic material, butpreferably of thin sheet met lsuch as iron, steel, bronze, or brass-andsaid strip is made into the form of a ring, and is overlapped at itsends and provided with a thumb-piece and a clamping device.

To more particularly describe my invention, I will refer to theaccompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents, in end, side, andedge views, the strip of thin metal of which my novel ring is composed,the same being properly slotted and provided with a thumb-piece. Fig. 2represents in various views a clampingbolt and thumb-screw by which theends of the slotted strip are united to form the bindingring. Fig. 3 isa front perspective view of the ring.

The strip A is composed preferably of thin steel. It is somewhat longerthan the circumference of the largest-sized hat, and is slottedlongitudinally near one end, as at a, so thatthe distance from the innerend of said slot to the opposite end of the strip is a little less thanthe circumference of a hat of the smallest size. The opposite end of thestrip has a a short slot, 12, which receives the flat-sided clampscrew-bolt 0 when inserted through the ,slot a from the inner side ofthe ring.

extreme end of the strip near'the long slot a. is provided with athumb-piece, cl, beneath which the opposite end of the strip can freelyslide in the opening d. The clamp-bolt c is provided with a thumb-nut,6, having a hub at its rear side, so that the two ends of the strip maybe firmly clamped between the face of said hub and the inner surface ofthe head of the bolt. The head of the bolt 0 is quite thin, so as tooccupy but little-space within the ring; but even if it should slightlyindent the ihats it will not be objectionable,

because any indentation so made will be wholplish these ends I have forthe first time dey The 1y covered by the outside hat band or ribbon I inhat-rounding machines in which the hat is '20 usually employed.

It will readily be seen that when my bindi11g-ring is placed over a hatfilled out by an expansible block, said ring can be reduced in size andmade to thoroughly compress a hat next to its brim by pulling oppositelyupon the thumb-pieceand thumb-nut, and that the latter, with a slightturn, will be made to firn1 1y clamp the overlapping ends and secure thehat against expansion.

The clamping device may be obviously varied in construction Withoutdeparture from my invention, it only being necessary that it be capableof being tightened, while it and the thumb-piece have such pressure soapplied thereto as will cause the ring to firmly pinch or bind the hatupon the block.

It is obvious that my device is also of use cold, but has to be securedfirmly upon the expansible hat-block.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- The adjustable hat-binding ring composed 25 of astrip of flexible non-elastic mat e rial overlapped at its ends, andprovided with a thumbpiece and a clamp, substantially as described,whereby hats of various sizes may be circumferentially confined uponahat-block and pre- 0 vented from undue expansion during the curling androunding of brims, or other similar operations.

RUDQLF EIGKEMEYER.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY OSTERHELD, GEORGE NARR.

